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Tuesday, September 17, 2013

GZ Legends 66: Blacktide in Chains!

When
Nyhtwulf sank out of sight, he shifted from one plane of existence to another.
To retrieve his friend, he had to travel back to the Realm of the Dead attached
to a plane called Midworld. The channel between dimensions to enter the Realm
seethed with shadows and mists of grey. Other spirits lurked in the seeming
abyss and it was important he flew right past them, paying them no heed. Any
attention to such creatures would invite an attack and serve as a great delay.

Very few
knew the path that Nyhtwulf took to return to the Isle of Skulls. Even fewer
had permission to use it. On this path, there was no need of Charon’s ferry,
but it was still over the River Styx, and still very dangerous. As he entered
the Realm, he flew through a long tunnel of black stone. Below him were weeping
souls, wandering the underworld lost as penance for unspeakable crimes in life.
Nyhtwulf stayed well above their reach, following the tunnel until he flew over
water. He stayed high above the water of the River Styx as well, knowing that
even more lost souls occupied the murky depths. Their loneliness knew no equal,
so they would drag any being deep to drown them forever.

There were
some spirits who knew Nyhtwulf and shrank away as he flew past. The lupine hero
was thankful for this as he didn’t feel he had time for any extra fights.

On board
Charon’s ferry, Blacktide struggled in chains.

“You waste
your useless strength, mortal.” Charon said. “You cannot break the chains of
the dead. They are built to hold the most ruthless of spirits and demons.”

“Yeah? I
bet the next person wearing them is you.” Blacktide said with a grimace.

“I will
not. Once I settle the score with that vermin, I will cast you both to the
bottom of the river. You will never be seen again.”

“I’ve heard
songs like this before. It never ends well. My partner is coming, but it’s not
going to end like you plan. I’ll bet on it.”

“No need.
You know, I bet if you did a better job, your boss might actually give you a
real body. The whole rotting skeleton thing is kind of last year.”

“Watch your
tongue, mortal, or I will remove it.”

“And,
speaking of souls, I didn’t think betting with them was your bag.” Blacktide
didn’t care if he aggravated Charon. He did it on purpose.

Charon
turned and roared at Blacktide. Flames burst and danced around his skull as he
stood on the deck of his ferry.

“Ooo,
you’re scary. Let me out of these chains and I’ll show you something really
scary.” Blacktide yanked on the chains to accent his point.

“You are no
threat to me.”

“We’ll see
about that. I’m calling dibs on one good kick to your skull.”

As Charon
took to ignoring his prisoner, Nyhtwulf arrived at the castle of the Four Horsemen.
The doors opened and let him in without even the need to knock. He marched to
the great throne room where the Four sat in solemn silence. As Nythtwulf
approached the room, he was addressed immediately.

“Enter and
be seen.” Death’s voice echoed and boomed in the room with high vaulted
ceilings of stone.

Nyhtwulf
knelt at the foot of the steps leading to Death’s magnificent throne.

“Rise,
former servant. We have been expecting you.”

“Then you
know why I come?”

“Yes. And I
give you my permission as you seek it. You may deliver the punishment for
Charon’s misdeeds as you see fit, but the final judgment will be mine.” Death
opened a clawed skeletal hand and an orb of shadows fell to the steps. I landed
at Nyhtwulf’s feet. “Throw that upon the mortal captive, wrongly taken by
Charon. Then dispense your justice.”

“Thank you,
my Lord. I will go directly.”

Once given
direction by one such as Death himself, one does not delay. Nyhtwulf exited the
front doors and flew for the River Styx.

“It will be
interesting to see your friend come to save you.” Charon said to Blacktide.

“What do
you mean?”

“No one may
fly over the River Styx and we are in the middle of the river. Your friend may
not even make it to save you. I will relish in seeing him pulled to the
depths.”

“So you
plan to let the river do your dirty work? I think there’s a problem with that
plan, Charon.”

“What do you
know about it?”

In answer,
a savage roar sounded as Nyhtwulf flew onto the deck of the ferry to attack
Charon. The Ferryman, being no slow slouch, responded instantly with his pole,
knocking the Twilie Demon out of the air and onto the wood. Charon swung twice
more with Nyhtwulf dodging aside each time.

“How is
this possible! The river should have swallowed you!” Charon shouted.

“You
forget, Charon, I earned permission!” Nyhtwulf
lunged and slashed with his claws at Charon’s chest section. Bits of
cloak and rib were torn away, but this would not slow down Charon.

Charon spun
his pole like a martial arts Grandmaster, batting Nyhtwulf back and forth
between powerful strikes. Nyhtwulf’s intangibility served as no defense in this
realm.

“I remember
that you have been given another life!” Charon said. “It is another life that
you can lose, Demon. I am already dead.”

“Come on,
Buddy, you can do it!” Blacktide called. “Take him apart!”

Nyhtwulf
had momentarily forgotten the orb given to him. Twilie Demons can store a
number of things in their shadowy fur. So he brought out the orb and threw it
past Charon. It landed on Blacktide’s chest and broke open, engulfing the
chained man in strange shadows. Blacktide cried out as they latched onto him.
In distraction, Nyhtwulf was hit again, and cast overboard. As he hit the
water, he wondered what he had done to his friend.

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About Me

I am an advocate for autism now sharing my own fantasy universe to show just what people can do in spite of limitations (like my hands). I'm writing an ongoing story on my blogspot, have a facebook fanpage and more. I have one novel being considered by agents.

I want to network and learn with other artists and writers. I also just want to share.